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A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life

A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life___I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe, –that unless I believed, I should not understand.-- St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

Friday, December 21, 2012

Truth Is Stranger than Fiction: Can You "Stomach" This Coffee?

Coffee from an elephant's gut fills a $50 cup

By JOCELYN GECKER

From Associated Press

December 07, 2012 12:11 PM
EST

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Thailand (AP) — In the lush hills of northern Thailand, a herd
of 20 elephants is excreting some of the world's most expensive coffee.Trumpeted as earthy in flavor and smooth on the palate, the exotic new brew is
made from beans eaten by Thai elephants and plucked a day later from their dung.
A gut reaction inside the elephant creates what its founder calls the coffee's
unique taste.Stomach turning or oddly alluring, this is not just one of the world's most
unusual specialty coffees. At $1,100 per kilogram ($500 per pound), it's also
among the world's priciest.For now, only the wealthy or well-traveled have access to the cuppa, which is
called Black Ivory Coffee. It was launched last month at a few luxury hotels in
remote corners of the world — first in northern Thailand, then the Maldives and
now Abu Dhabi — with the price tag of about $50 a serving.The Associated Press traveled to the coffee's production site in the Golden
Triangle, an area historically known for producing drugs more potent than
coffee, to see the jumbo baristas at work. And to sip the finished product from
a dainty demitasse.In the misty mountains where Thailand meets Laos and Myanmar, the coffee's
creator cites biology and scientific research to answer the basic question: Why
elephants?"When an elephant eats coffee, its stomach acid breaks down the protein found in
coffee, which is a key factor in bitterness," said Blake Dinkin, who has spent
$300,000 developing the coffee. "You end up with a cup that's very smooth
without the bitterness of regular coffee."